The Man, The Myths And The Music Of 'Hamilton'

Today we're talking about one of the biggest sensations in the history of American theatre: "Hamilton: An American Musical." Composer, lyrisict, and preformer Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired to create "Hamilton" after reading Ron Chernow's 800-page biography of Alexander Hamilton.

Our guests today are David Sehat, an Associate Professor of American History at Georgia State University, and Rick Lombardo, a seasoned theatrical director who is now the chairman of the Kennesaw State University theater department.

Sehat tells us about Alexander Hamilton’s place in history and weighs the musical’s accuracy. Plus, Lombardo and Sehat discuss Miranda's decision to cast actors of color in roles as Founding Fathers.

This is a music-packed coversation about the man, the myths, and the music of "Hamilton." You can listen to the complete collection of songs from Hamilton below:

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Vice President-elect Mike Pence stepped out last night to see one of the hottest shows in New York, "Hamilton: An American Musical." Mr. Pence was greeted with equally loud cheering and booing when he walked into the theater.

Hamilton's reach spreads beyond Broadway. Since the musical opened in 2015, it's won almost every possible theatre award, including 11 Tonys and the Pulitzer Prize. Its cast recording has gone platinum and hit No. 1 on the rap chart. A large part of Hamilton's appeal is that it takes the story of America's Founding Fathers and recasts it in contemporary terms — the score is an amalgam of hip-hop, R&B and pop, and the cast is multiracial.